Tag Archives: nonfiction

It’s that time again. Today, I release my 8th book into the world. For any author, publication day is often day of apprehension. No matter how many books they’ve written, it’s something about releasing another book that has an author on pins and needles. At least to some degree.

For me today should be especially daunting but I find myself calm. In the Dark is my first non fiction book and I had to pull back the layers of me, for my readers to get the benefit of the book.

Do you find yourself wondering about the expiration date of your “meantime place?” Are you struggling to hold on when you have no idea what God’s end game is?

Multi-published award winning author, entrepreneur and Purpose Champion, Unoma Nwankwor takes readers on a hopeful exploration of Jeremiah 29. Along the way, she provides strategies to remain anchored during the uncertainties of life. Storms come to move us out of place, but as Christians we must not only survive but thrive with persevering confidence.
Blending undisguised personal testimony, biblical references and in your face realism, this book shows readers how to push past the stagnation of life’s uncertainties by successfully navigating the dark places, walking the walk of faith with hope for a favorable end, having peace by learning to trust God and relinquish control to Him.
We can’t dominate our areas of influence in excellence if we give up every time we hit a rocky patch. This book will leave you equipped with tools and tips needed to help you push through the process by maintaining confident expectations for today and tomorrow.

In the Dark is now available. This book of perseverance will leave you empowered and energized for God’s plan in you. I highly recommend the paperback so that you could write or circle key points in the book. However, the book is also available on Kindle. B&N, iTunes are coming soon

Welcome to another edition of Flashlight Moments in the Dark. I hope you have been keeping up. This week is our third week and I have the pleasure of interviewing Norma L Jarret.

Me: So tell us, who is Norma L. Jarrett?
Norma: Norma Jarrett is a believer who seeks to encourage and inspire through the use of her creative gifts.
Me: What is the driving force in your life?
Norma: My desire to encourage and inspire women and to help them understand how fearfully and wonderfully he has made us all.

Me: How do you balance family, faith and your passion/business?

Norma: It is not always easy. I think you have to continuously commit it to God. Especially when you know you have not honored your time as you should. God is the great balancer. Me: What was the single most devastating experience/challenge in your life and how did you overcome it?Norma: Losing my mother shortly after I graduated from college. She was my best friend. (next to my father) Her death was so unexpected and heart breaking. I can’t say I have completely gotten over it but it forced me to grow closer to God. I wandered around plugging that whole with accomplishments but on He could fill that space.
Me: How do you build confident expectations in your dark moments?Norma: On the professional, I talk to God a lot but also have a few trusted sounding boards. I read the word and other motivational material. I pray and use affirmations and I try to stay around passion infused people. On the personal side I journal, stay connected to spirit filled but balanced friends, listen to praise and worship and attend church. I do lots of “self-talk” and remember everything is a season. It is also wise to have a great prayer partner.

Me: How does your understanding of the future give you hope for the present?Norma: I know that God holds the future. I have learned hard lessons about anxiety and fear. Some of our biggest mistakes occur when we get out of God’s timing. It sounds cliché’ but you do have to live in the moment. (Business or Personal)
Me:What does it look like practically for you to “turn to the cross” in your business/ministry.Norma: It means quiet time for me. I have to shut everything down. By nature I am a socialized introvert so turning inward comes natural. It means getting up a little earlier to pray and meditate or something simple as sitting outside and soaking up nature.
Me:What advice would you give your younger self?Norma: You are so much smarter, together and more beautiful than you give yourself credit for. Don’t ever let anyone else assign your value. Have fun and enjoy every experience in life.
Me:What can we look forward to from you this year? OR What are you working on?Norma: I am working on two non-fiction books. Place and With Dignity and Grace.

I hope you enjoyed Norma’s transparency and see that even through uncertainty, we owe it to ourselves to push through the process and glow in the dark. Also Journaling play an important role in intentional thinking and reflection. There is still time to get your FREE Light Pearls in the Dark Prayer Journal. All you have to do is preorder In the Dark

Now let’s find out more about Norma,

Bio: Norma L. Jarrett, J.D. is the award winning author of Randomhouse novels, Sunday Brunch, Sweet Magnolia and The Sunday Brunch Diaries (Essence bestseller) and other works: Bridal Brunch, Brunchspiration, Christmas Beau, Love on a Budget, Valentine’s Day…Again??? and Salt and Sky. Her work has been featured in USA Today, Essence, Ebony, Publisher’s Weekly, Rolling Out, Southern Living, Upscale, Hope Magazine and other media. Norma has been a featured guest on The Yolanda Adams radio show, ABC 13’s Crossroads, Outlook Houston, Majic 102, Atlanta’s V103 and other media. Among other honors, Ms. Jarrett has received a Certificate of Congressional Recognition for her literary work. She has served as a panelist and/or speaker at events such as the Baltimore Book Festival, Miami Book Fair, Faith & Fiction Retreat, Harlem Book Fair, the Essence Music Festival, Christian Book Lovers Retreat and other venues. Ms. Jarrett is a graduate of North Carolina A & T State University and Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Norma is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc and a founding member of The Anointed Authors on Tour. She is married and resides in Houston, Texas, where she attends Lakewood Church. Visit her website at http://www.normajarrett.net.

Growing up and being the only girl and kinda of a loner, writing was(and still is) my get away. Throughout my teen to early adult years, I would buy a fancy notebook every year and I will write in it everyday. It was more than a diary, because it wasn’t a “I did this today, I did that today.” It was my pouring out my thoughts on life, relationships, dreams,spirituality and just talking to God.I had more than 10 of those notebooks. One thing I did which I regret is that I never opened it after the year ended. In fact I destroyed them on the last day of each year.

I guess I did that for a number of reasons, a lot of hurt feelings and wounds I never wanted to re read or carry into the new year. As far as I was concerned, it was over, I learnt and move one. That was my one regret because, re reading them would’ve allowed me to see how much I had grown. Hey I was a teenager what did I know right?

Who knew that I was journaling and it would become a “thing.” Writing things down as you envision them is a very powerful exercise in being intentional. Habakkuk 2 tells us that exact thing. To write the vision down.

Here are 5 reason you should journal and subsequently 5 more reasons I regret destroying my old journals. But again, I was a teenager/young adult 🙂

• Help you track brilliant ideas: You can do this with your smartphone but nothing is more invigorating than seeing your ideas on pen and paper. Or is it just me?
• Helps you track past victories: Keeping track of what has gone well in your life, personal or business helps you push forward on days when things don’t go so great.
• Makes you more self-aware: You are able to control the thoughts you let control you.
• Helps you maintain an attitude of gratitude: As you write, you have a chance to see the good things that have happened to you and be grateful.
• Saves relationships: Funny this is my favorite. Instead of speaking the words, I vent on paper, then I’m able to collect my thoughts and lace my words with grace. It’s stress relieving. Try it.

As a writer, I always have a notebook and a couple of pens with me for book & business ideas. I also have a prayer journal where I write down promises of God so that I remember them when the enemy strikes…because we all know he will.Especially In The Dark places of our life, he will try to shake our confident expectations in God’s promises.

When writing In The Dark, I decided to create a journal focusing on confident expectations. This 40 day confident expectations journal, titled Light Pearls In The Dark (which is now available for preorder) contains targeted scripture and songs of praise and worship to keep your mind anchored on God’s promises through your wilderness season.

Do you journal? I’d like to know how it has helped you.

Blessings

Unoma.

Don’t forget to go to the home page and claim your FREE book & FREE Motivation to Transformation guide.

Like this:

In pursuit of your passion. On your way to destiny. You sometimes, well more often than not, you gotta fly blind. These are those moments of uncertainty where you have no idea which direction you are supposed to go next. Neither do you know how long the darkness will last. What happens when you pray and you’re moving but nothing is happening?

Starting February, every other Monday, I will feature ten amazing women who have a great testimony to share. How did these ladies survive their flashlight moments when they could only see so far #InTheDark . These are women I admire a lot and when I reached out, they willingly answered my call. I can’t wait for you to know them better.

Through authenticity and transparency we are able to help others #GLOWIntheDark with #ConfidentExpectations in God. I love this quote by Rick Beneteau; It’s rather easy to shine in the light but to glow in the dark…that’s mastery.

If you haven’t yet don’t forget to join the Anchor Tribe and preorder your autographed copy of In The Dark.